Suspected gunmen in West Bank attack arrested

Charges filed against two Palestinians who fired at entrance of settlement

An Israeli soldier between the Palestinian village of Nabi Saleh (not pictured) and the Jewish settlement of Halamish during a demonstration against settlement activity in December 2012 (photo credit: Issam Rimawi/Flash90)

Israeli authorities said on Monday that they had arrested two gunmen from Ramallah suspected of carrying out an attack on a settlement late last year.

The Shin Bet security service said it arrested the two in December with the help of the Israel Defense Forces.

The two suspects are accused of opening fire at the West Bank settlement of Halamish, also known as Neveh Tzuf, on December 13.

They originally intended to stage the attack during Israel’s Operation Pillar of Defense assault on terror targets in Gaza in mid-November, but delayed the attack until the following month. Nobody was injured in the shooting.

Charges were filed two weeks ago against the accused.

The two suspects are reportedly connected to the Fatah movement of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

Monday’s announcement comes on the heels of a nighttime sweep of the West Bank by security forces Sunday that led to 25 arrests, including 20 Hamas members suspected of trying to set up a terror cell. The arrests took place in major urban areas, including Ramallah, Nablus and Qalqilya.

Halamish has been the site of regular demonstrations by Palestinians from the neighboring village of Nabi Saleh. The protesters claim that a spring in the area that belongs to the Palestinians has been taken over by local settlers.

Also on Monday, the Shin Bet revealed that there were 29 fewer terror attacks in January than in December.

Last month saw 56 attacks in the West Bank and 30 in Jerusalem. There were no attacks in January from the Gaza Strip.

In December there was one attack from Gaza, 30 in Jerusalem and 81 in the West Bank.

The army had reported in November and December an uptick in West Bank violence, thought to be tied to Pillar of Defense.

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